Westchester County vital records can be found at the New York Department of Health which has copies of birth records after 1881 and death records after 1880, copies of marriage since 1881 (A marriage license may also sometimes be found in the office of the town or city clerk who issued the license) and a Divorce records since 1847 (Is handled in the supreme court for the county in which the divorce was heard. Divorce files, however, are sealed for one hundred years). There is a fee for each copy requested. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in New York for current fees and application process.

Westchester County Historical Society Library, 2199 Saw Mill River Road, Elmsford, NY 10523, Phone: 914.592.4323; cemetery listings, church records, censuses, newspapers, and more. The Historical Society's library is located in the County Archives. The Historical Society, along with the County Archives, maintains Westchester's Virtual Archives

Westchester County Records Center and Archives,, 2199 Saw Mill River Road, Elmsford, NY 10523, Phone: 914.231.1500; Established in 1985, the County Archives collects records created by the county government including deeds, census rolls, estate records, marriages certificates, naturalization records, Surrogate Court records, and Wills. The County Archives, along with the County Historical Society, maintains Westchester's Virtual Archives

Westchester Library System, Mount Vernon Public Library, Central Library of Westchester, 28 South First Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY, Phone: 914.668.1840; The Westchester Library System consists of more than forty libraries throughout Westchester County. The Mount Vernon Library (central library) has maps, newspapers, church and synagogue files, photographs, school yearbooks, city directories, and more. The Mount Vernon Library is also a partial depository for U.S. Federal documents.

Westchester County Courthouse and Government Records

Researchers frequently overlook the significance of Westchester County court, probate, and land documents as a resource of family history and genealogy details. Buried away in New York courthouses and archives just about everywhere could be the aspirations and worries of the many New York men and women.

The possibilities are excellent that your particular ancestors and forefathers have left a comprehensive document of at least a number of factors of their lives in the Westchester County court records. Even if your forebears is not discussed in a Court case, contemplate all of the other procedures that could have lead to him or her appearing in court records.

The following specifics denotes whatever birth, death, marriage, land, probate, and legal records will be in Westchester County. The years pointed out listed below tend to be the first known records in this county.

Please make sure to contact the clerk's office to verify hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics prior to visiting or inquiring information because of occasionally changing contact details. The Department Offices DO NOT DO RESEARCH. The files are readily available to interested parties, barring confidential issues. A good number of staff will help people in locating the resources, however it is up to the person to carry out the research.

Also contact local Town Clerks. They are responsible for vast amounts of local information from deeds, property transfers, and genealogical materials. Research on place and road names, the history of property transfers and much more are available through your Town Clerk. They are a tremendous resources.

Westchester County Clerk is the keeper of most civil and criminal trial court records for Supreme Court and County Court, naturalizations, marriages (1908–35), censuses (Some county clerks' offices hold duplicate copies of some of the State censuses taken periodically between 1825 and 1925 and copies of the federal census), as well as deeds and mortgages. Records, with indexes for 1680—1897, are held at the Records Center and Archives. Later deed records are with the county
clerk

Phone: 914-995-3080

Land Records: 1683 (Land conveyances, deeds and mortgages are recorded in the county clerks' offices or in the New York City Register's Office. Recording of deeds became mandatory statewide in 1840. Before that many deeds were not recorded)

Court Records: 1683

Naturalization Records: State court naturalization records remain in custody of the county clerks. Older court naturalization records have been transferred to the National Archives--Northeast Region.

Westchester County Surrogate Court Clerk maintain records of wills, letters testamentary, letters of administration, orders and decrees, and appointments of guardians; and filed papers, including original wills, petitions for probate (gives date of death and lists next of kin), performance bonds, property inventories (seldom found after ca. 1900), administrator's or executor's accountings, etc. Surrogate's Courts create comprehensive indexes to records and files.

Address: 140 Grand Street 8th Floor, White Plains, NY 10601

Phone: 914-824-5656

Probate Records: 1775 (each county generally has records dating back to the establishment of the county or 1787, whichever was later. Record keeping was systematized by an 1830 statute)

Westchester County Historian maintains archival holdings for virtually every facet of the county’s history. In New York State, every municipality (town, city, village, county) must have an appointed historian. Most of the towns have their own historians as well and each can be contacted. The County Historian may provide access to obituaries, vital records, church records, maps, and family files or journals. Some historians provide search services for their office records and others may refer you to local genealogists who research in the area.

Westchester County Links

The following are web links to Family history and genealogy, Records and Resources relevant to Westchester County. Most of these genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Business oriented Sites, Private Sites or Organization Sites. Some have free access some have to have a cost. This is simply a listing that has been compiled or submitted. I do not recommend or promote one genealogy site over another. Feel free to suggest your own favorite Westchester County genealogy or family history related sites.

Westchester Co. NY Books, Newspapers & Publications

Historical Newspapers from New York (1719 - 1992)(genealogybank.com) Easily find names and phrases in over 450 million content articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements along with other items written in over 2,800 historic U.S. newspapers. All new content and articles added each month!

New York Military Records(Fold3.com) provides easy access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents of the New York both women and men who served. Perfect for Westchester County genealogists, researchers, historians and more.